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Main Man Records has issued the following statement in response to the press reports that Joan Jett and her former RUNAWAYS bandmate Cherie Currie have filed a lawsuit to try to stop the June 28 release of the RUNAWAYS tribute album “Take It Or Leave It: A Tribute To The Queens Of Noise”:

“Thirty six bands have donated their recordings of songs to this project, partly in tribute to a band that has influenced and entertained them all, but also with the hope of raising funds for cancer research. The American Institute for Cancer Research are in full support of our efforts and Main Man Records will be donating our net proceeds in memory of Sandy West who lost her battle with the disease in 2006.

“There are more than one hundred artists in total involved in this tribute; a project that was made with the best of intentions.

“As with Main Man Records‘ previous tribute releases, the writers of all the songs will be paid as the publishing has been appropriately secured.

“It is true that several people at Main Man have worked for, performed with and counted as friends, members of THE RUNAWAYS, which only added to our dedication to the integrity of this tribute.

“Our presentation of the project has not focused on anyone in particular, but the excellence of the band as a whole.

“We find it terribly sad that a great, charitable record of rock songs honoring five legends could be deemed possibly sullying anyone’s image, and hope that the record will be received by music fans in the spirit in which it was intended.

“Main Man Records has not been contacted, served with a complaint or any legal papers and are not in a position to address these claims, but we will vigorously defend ourselves in this matter.”

Jett and Currie claim in the lawsuit that the Main Man Records label used their names to promote the album without their permission and that a Main Man employee who once worked at Jett‘s record label used that connection to imply the project had her blessing. The duo’s lawyer, Oren J. Warshavsky, tells The Associated Press, “This isn’t about money. This is strictly about preserving reputation and quality that both Joan and Cherie are known for.”

“Take It Or Leave It: A Tribute To The Original Queens of Noise: The Runaways” features 36 tracks and over two hours of music which spans the entire RUNAWAYS catalog. Their best-known songs like “Cherry Bomb”, “Queens of Noise” and “California Paradise” are all represented as well as obscure fan favorites like “Dead End Justice”, “Born To Be Bad” and “Yesterday’s Kids”.

“Take It Or Leave It: A Tribute To The Original Queens of Noise, The Runaways” track listing: